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| January 20, 2026 |
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| Edtech news for those building the future of Edtech
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| (Scarlette/iStock/Getty Images) |
This year, edtech product architecture must pivot from providing effortless answers to facilitating "intentional cognitive friction" that ensures skill retention rather than temporary performance boosts, according to the "Digital Education Outlook 2026" report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Software designed for districts should integrate expert pedagogical scaffolding and co-designed teacher workflows, and the successful companies will bake in assistance that prioritizes student agency and academic integrity over simple, automated task completion, the report indicates.
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SmartTake: A few of the articles we've summarized below (especially the National Public Radio piece) and in the past weeks, along with the news above, make it clear that edtech's luster is starting to dull. Companies that want to shine must develop products with teachers and test them in classrooms, and data must show overwhelming proficiency gains for the majority of students. Companies that show quality efficacy for only a small segment of students who strictly adhere to product guidelines are announcing that they don't really understand real-life classrooms and instructional constraints.
Educators, and now legislators, are viewing edtech and AI with caution, worried that these potential miracle workers are doing more harm than good. Developers must remember that educators haven't turned to edtech because pencil and paper are no longer available; they can easily resume analog instruction (and some experts recommend it).
What else is coming in 2026?
Carl Hooker, educator, author and host of the ISTE Learning Unleashed podcast and Future Ready Schools' UnDisruptED podcast, believes:
- At least one successful company -- perhaps like MagicSchool, SchoolAI or Brisk -- will transition from isolated tools to a unified "teacher operating system" that brings lesson planning/pacing, documentation and student support into a single administrative hub.
- We're on the cusp of a hardware-integrated landscape where real-time translation wearables and biometric engagement trackers will replace traditional assessment metrics.
- Companies can differentiate themselves from AI slop (and the presence of advertising in AI-generated images) by offering high-value, authentic human interactions and ad-free, vetted information environments.
- Facebook and other social media with excessive AI-provided content will cease to be useful to most educators.
Meanwhile, Michael Horn, author, co-founder of the Christensen Institute, co-host of the Future U podcast, and Harvard Graduate School of Education lecturer, believes:
- School leaders will create clear guidance around AI use, though it would have been wise to have started with "principles around what kind of education we are even trying to offer in the first place, thought about their education model itself, and then asked how AI-powered tools could help or hinder that."
- Edtech companies shouldn't just layer on new AI features. It's better, for example, for developers to go beyond basic chatbot functionality to create tools that serve specific instructional objectives, such as removing language barriers in specialized curricula or automating complex administrative scheduling.
- Companies should focus on maintaining student skill acquisition for fundamentals while providing older learners with sophisticated, AI-enhanced pathways for career exploration.
- Edtech companies and educators should consider "structur[ing] learning around narrative arcs to accelerate mastery of these fundamentals and make learning history, science, and so forth much more engaging than we do today."
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The ENCORE program dismantles barriers between edtech R&D and classrooms, fostering synergy to explore edtech's transformative effect on education. See the change in SmartBrief's Q&A with Digital Promise's Shayla Cornick. Download now! |
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| (Maskot/Getty Images) |
A report on generative AI use in education outlines pros and cons, along with recommendations for accessing benefits and avoiding perils, based on a Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education analysis of hundreds of research articles and interviews in 50 countries. Students' possible cognitive decline or atrophy tops the report's list of concerns of certain types of AI use, along with a risk to "emotional well-being, including their ability to form relationships, recover from setbacks, and maintain mental health," while benefits include language acquisition assistance, increased accessibility for students with learning disabilities, as well as providing more time for teachers to spend directly with students. The report recommends fostering curiosity in students, creating tools that challenge users and ensuring equitable access to AI tools. |
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Other articles about AI concerns:
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The Bett London conference, one of the largest edtech conferences in the world, takes place Wednesday through Friday, and it's loaded with AI presentations and events, according to "The AI Classroom" author Dan Fitzpatrick. He lists 15 of them he's looking forward to, including "AI and the Future of Learning: Hannah Fry and Amol Rajan in Conversation," "Practical Guidance for School Leaders on Supporting Digital Growth and Resilient Education Environments" and "The Workload Myth: Is AI Saving Time or Just Reallocating It?"
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Student-driven programs that build durable skills, such as problem-solving and communication, will reshape relevant education technology programs, say leaders and students at the Future of Education Technology Conference. Districts can achieve these objectives with intentionally designed internships, project-based assignments and elementary programs that support creativity.
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| (Boris Zhitkov/Getty Images) |
Hoax threats have disrupted schools in districts across North Texas in the past week, including threatening emails and social media posts, all deemed non-credible by police. Security experts advise administrators to carefully assess threat credibility before deciding on closures, to avoid unnecessary disruptions while maintaining safety.
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Jon-Perry Mize, who teaches eighth-grade social studies at Highland Middle School in Arkansas, uses AI to create songs about Arkansas history. Mize writes the lyrics and has an AI music generator compose the music, ensuring the content aligns with curriculum standards, with students saying the songs are helpful for retaining information and test preparation.
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Some legislative moves to reduce students' screen time and a potential California ballot initiative that would regulate the way AI companies interact with minors look to provide less regulatory leeway for edtech. "The ballot measure’s provisions around age assurance, data sharing, and content safeguards will apply to AI-powered educational tools just as they apply to chatbots and social media platforms. Any edtech company using AI features -- from adaptive learning algorithms to AI tutoring -- will need to comply with whatever standards California ultimately adopts," write Alex Sarlin, a product manager and learning experience designer at Coursera, Scholastic and other companies; Sarah Morin of "The Silent Conversation"; Ben Kornell, an educator and entrepreneur; and Jen Lapaz of Edtech Insiders. The authors also note that:
- "Edtech has failed to coalesce around common messages around edtech best practices and teacher support."
- "US edtech continues to struggle with measuring and communicating efficacy."
- "The burden of proof is shifting, [so] edtech companies, individually and collectively, need to bring better data to demonstrate the positive use cases for edtech and AI for kids."
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Experts at a hearing before the US Senate Commerce Committee told lawmakers that education technology, including 1-to-1 computing programs, hampers student learning and mental health, urging lawmakers to limit digital device use in schools. However, a group of education organizations asserted that technology, when used correctly, can enhance learning and prepare students for the workforce. The debate comes as federal pandemic relief funds dry up, potentially affecting funding for digital tools.
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Experts expressed concern about a dearth of federal regulation on AI use in schools in a House committee hearing, amid a federal push to accelerate AI adoption. Adeel Khan of Magic School AI noted a need for shared standards and safe tools for classrooms, and Khan also suggested school districts could mitigate risks by asking education technology companies how they protect student data and how they evaluate their platforms.
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Top stories from last week's newsletter
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Congratulations to the newest ISTE Seal holders, ClickView and Microsoft Learning Zone! The ISTE Seal provides third-party validation of an edtech product's alignment with digital pedagogy, technological usability, and the ISTE Standards. To learn more about the Seal and how these tools support student learning and educator development, visit the ISTE Seal webpage. |
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| About ISTE Solutions Network |
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| The Solutions Network a member-based community that aims to 1) connect innovative solution providers to one another to learn, explore, and share best practices, 2) engage with the ISTE/ASCD member community to gather feedback and increase the impact of high-quality learning solutions, 3) engage in thought leadership conversations and 4) provide benefits for the annual ASCD + ISTE conference, where approximately 16,000 educators, decision-makers, and vendors convene. This community is made up of edtech companies of various sizes that are interested in engaging with each other and with ISTE to discuss Edtech’s role in teaching and learning, industry trends, and solve common challenges. Members of this network can benefit from connecting with industry experts and thought leaders, as well as from gaining key buyer information and insights.
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| Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual ASCD + ISTE endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of ASCD + ISTE.
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| Forgive. Forget. Life is full of misfortunes. |
Mario Puzo,
writer, screenwriter |
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